Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-11-26
a Wholesale Murderer.

~ HOfIlDIe LuuFueT lOOh plaCe OH tu6 19lu
ut. GU u Russian schooner in the Baltic
Sea, near the island of Bornholm. This
schooner was the Johannes, of Riga, Capt.
Behrsing 1t lef5 Riga in the early part of
October, with cargo OF deals for England.
The crew consisted ef the captain, mate
an;i six hands. Among these was one Jan
Um5, worthless fellow Who was caught
iobbng his fhipmates, as we'll as stealing
ropes from the chip. The officers and the
crew began teasing and cbastisiDg him. On
the 18th Of October, when off Bornholm,
Jan Uum jumped overheard. A rope was
thrown TO bin and he was hauled on board,
after which his life was made one Of abso.
ute misery. The night following was very
dark. Jan Umb took advantage of the
darkness to murder the captain and five of
his shipmates, who he afterwards threw
overheard Not satisfied this, he next half
murdered the mate, who was asleep IN the
cabiu The immediate cause of the murder
was this /: jar Umb was at the wheel. He
did no5 steer to the captains satisfaction
and the captain hit him with rope. Jan
Umb then goti rage, took piece of wood
aad Knocked the captain down, and then
ltS LblnSndh mIO uuN lClISECQ hiiu'
Next be went to the lookout and killed
hin. After this he called the other
watch t;hree mem out from the forecastle
aud killed them one after The other. Some
of Jeem were not quite dead when he threw
them overheard. he saw boy, relative
Of tba master, crying and begging for his
iife, but the brute threw him over board also.
Then lie gathered ali the valusbles be could
sc. hold OF, taking the captains watch and
wedding ring before throwing him over
board He then went down in the cabin,
axe in hand TO Kill the mate and get his
money. The nate heard him, but thought
it was the master. The murderer went 10
the bed and struck at the mate. Instead Of
hitting hilo 90 the head he cut him on the
legs a struggle ensued and the mate sue
ceeded IN soaring him away with an imagi-
nary revolver The murderer then went on
deck, ashed knife TO long pole and tried
TO stab the mate with this through the cabin
window But the mate, bleeding, managed
TO keep out OF bis reach. The brute, seeing
be could not reach him. began TO pour pc
troleum down the cabin. He next dipped
rCpe in petroleum, applied match toit and
then dropped it down the cabin, sc as to set
fire to the oil he had poured down aud burn
the ship and mste with IL Then he went
aft',o nail the cabin door, but meanwhile
the mate had climbed through the cabin
window, and he came back to the murderer
while the latter was busy mailing the door and
knocked him down with piece of wood, pull.
ed him to the mizzen rigging, ,lsshed him there
to, put rope around his neck and tied his
hands and then fell senseless to the
deck through the loss of blood, where be
was found by the mate of passing Danish
steamer, who had observed the ship with
out eny man visible on deck to manage her,
This was about eight o'clock in the morn
ing. The murderer had been about half
the night engaged in his nlurderous work.
Several ships were now in sight. at half
past seven Swedish steamer had passed
close under the schooner's stern, but, think
| ing all was right. steered away again. Then
the Danish steamer took charge of the ship.
The steamers mate and four of the hands
went on board, and, seeing what had been
done, tied tho murderer in the mizzen rig
| cling and set one man to watch him. After
| dressing the mates wounds they towed the
schooner to Copenhagen. where the police
took charge and carried the mate to 8 hos.
pita. The murderer was then examined
as to his sanity, but he was found to be
quite normal He has now confessed his
crime and will be delivered to the Russian
authorities. When the murderer was taken
on board the schooner to show the police
how ne had committed the crime he wept
like child. The captain has q young wife
and little child in Russia to lament their
loss. The mate is recovering from his
wounds, and the schooner will soon contin'
| on its voyage to Eugland.